Halo: Project Umbra - Dimensional Relays
by The Drastic Raven
Summary: (Please Read "Halo: Project Umbra" before reading this) After passing through some kind of portal made by a forerunner artifact, Alpha is thrown into a new universe filled with new aliens, places, people, and a Technology known as... Mass Effect. (Halo/Mass Effect/Megaman X)
1. Chapter 1

**HALO: PROJECT UMBRA**

**DIMENSIONAL RELAYS**

**BY THE DRASTIC RAVEN**

**CHAPTER 1**

**ACCIDENT**

_**Author's notes: **_

_**READ HALO: PROJECT UMBRA BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER!**_

_**This makes more sense if you've chosen the Control Ending in MASS EFFECT 3**_

**Unknown Planet, Unknown system...**

"Get up, kid..." Alpha said to himself, despite his bleeding wounds. "GET... UP!"

He forced himself to stand on his good leg, staring down the Brutes, Jackals, Grunts, and rogue Elites. His blue _Mirage-II flight Mjolnir_ variant armor cracked and burnt, some of it in pieces, his eyepiece shattered, exposing the workings of his cybernetic eye, His helmet he had taken off long before this incident, as the electronics in it fried. He could feel blood running down his forehead from a spot covered by his long, brown hair, along with other places on his body. Ever since _Hero's Blade_ went through the portal that the forerunner artifact made, it seemed like one disaster after another. First, the ship's systems overloaded and it crashed on an unknown planet in a sector he didn't even recognize. His attackers were in the same predicament, which made things no better.

His prototype plasma saber in hand, he forced himself to run once more. He hated running, and he knew that his time was limited. It was even more apparent when one of the Elites pounced on him. Dammit, he couldn't run as fast with this fractured leg! Plus, he had no armor jets, thanks to the damage and injury he took in _Hero's Blade's_ crash landing. He wrestled with the Elite, as it tried to grab his neck and choke him. He was barely holding it off, as his saber rolled to the side. The Elite was overpowering him! It was winning the struggle! Alpha just didn't have enough strength left to resist. He was so fatigued after running for what seemed like days, and he has lost so much blood over the past couple minutes...

This is it, Alpha thought to himself. I'm going to die here. Father, forgive me...

Then there were voices. The first sounded alien. Like nothing he'd ever heard.

"Over there!" It shouted. "There they are! Liara, James! Go after the main group! Tali, Combat Drone! EDI, toast that attacker!"

Then he heard another voice. It sounded synthetic, like a robot.

"Launching Incineration blast!"

The next thing he knew, A ball of fire was heading straight at him and the Elite! Alpha barely had time to adjust himself to use the Elite's body as a shield against the fiery explosion before he blacked out. The last thing he heard before completely succumbing to unconsciousness was gunfire.

**Some time later in the ****_Normandy's _****sick bay...**

"Will he be okay?" Garrus Vakarian asked Doctor Chakwas about the rescued young soldier.

"He'll be fine. Your squad applied the Medi-Gel just in time, Garrus, and we gave him a synthetic blood transfusion. He's very lucky, considering what he's went through. However, I had Tali Down here a minute ago for some help trying to make sense of some of his implants..."

"What do you mean?" Garrus asked. "Are his synthetics comprised some sort of new technology?"

"I don't know.'" Chakwas answered. "His body is approximately fourty-seven percent composed of unknown cybernetics. They can be upgraded and interchanged however. And from what Tali and EDI observed from his damage, they can be repaired. He'll be needing those repairs if he's going to live."

"Tali'Zorah reports she is ready to begin this repair process immediately." EDI said over the ship's comm.

"Very well..." Garrus sighed. "I'm going to Liara's office to see if we can find out more about this young soldier..."

He exited sick bay and went to the opposite side of the mess hall that housed the office of the current Shadow Broker.

"Find out anything?" He asked Liara as he walked in.

"No. Nothing." Liara answered, disappointed. "Over the past twelve hours, I've contacted all my agents, sent them the information over secured channels, had them hack military, merc, and privateer databases, scoured the extranet with Glyph, I even looked into old Cerberus remnants that I had bugged. There's nothing on this young man! Nothing!"

"Got any theories?" Garrus dared to ask.

"Only one." Liara's face got that look, as if she'd uncovered a Prothean archive. "Judging by his strange cybernetics, the remnants of his enemies, and the weaponry he used, he couldn't have come from this galaxy, or universe for that matter. This man is from another dimension. A parallel dimension to our own."

Garrus was dumbstruck. "Another dimension... But then how did he end up here?"

"That is a good question." Liara answered.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

**RUDE AWAKENING**

**Systems Alliance frigate ****_SSV NORMANDY SR-2_**

**Sol System, en route to Citadel in orbit of Earth...**

Alpha felt a temporary jab of pain in his arm then it was gone. He felt woozy, and had his real eye shut. His cybernetic eye was obviously offline. I must be in sickbay on the _Patriot_, he thought. Seth is giving me a pain sedative, he's probably healing me. Sure could use it after that near-death experience with the new-covies and that forerunner artifact...

_The artifact!_

His eyes shot open in an instant. He wasn't on the _Patriot_. And Seth wasn't the one healing him. There was a woman in a helmet and what appeared to be an eviro-suit, with a hood and various clothing over it! He also noticed all his armor was gone, and he was in thick sweat pants.

"Good. Your awake..." She said. She had an accent that sounded Russian.

Alpha jumped off the bed he was laying on, only to discover that his left leg was still fractured! He let out a loud grimace of pain as he landed on the floor. He quickly looked around. There was a door, and some windows that led to another room, along with a chair, a desk, and some books. Or at least they looked like books.

"EDI! Initiate quarantine procedure!" The woman yelled, panicked.

But it was too late. Alpha had just hurled himself through one of the windows, the glass shattering into shards, some cutting his skin, landing on his good leg first. He was now in what appeared to be a mess hall. There were people in uniforms. Human. Judging by the uniforms, he was on a ship. And they were the Crew. And they were rather shocked by his sudden appearance.

But Alpha knew this wasn't a UNSC ship. It didn't have the markings! Was he on a pirate vessel?!

He grabbed one of the crew just before they all started to run.

"WEHRE AM I?!" Alpha yelled in the face of the crewman. He then saw another crewman with a strange pistol aimed at him. He immediately flung the crewman at the pistol wielder, knocking them both over. He then snatched up the pistol just in time, as several armored figures came out of an elevator. Alpha grabbed the nearest downed-crewman, locking his arm around his neck. He now had a human shield.

He then noticed that the woman that was in the sickbay had vaulted through the hole in the window he made, with great agility, and now had what appeared to be a collapsible shotgun in her hand, unfolded and ready. Alpha then threw the crewman at the woman, and they both tumbled over in a heap, the woman dropping her shotgun. He quickly snatched it up before she could react, and turned to the armored figures, pistol aimed.

They were clearly alien. One looked like a cross between a cat and a bird, with blue Armor, with painted stripes on his face, if you cold call it a face. And the other appeared to be like a giant plated lizard, armor colored red, just like his snake-like eyes, scratches and a deep scar covering his head! They both had collapsible assault rifles!

"Okay! Put the guns down, nice and easy." The bird-cat alien spoke. Alpha immediately recognized the voice. It was the one he heard barking the orders on the planet he crashed on.

But Alpha refused to be intimidated. "Where am I?! What ship is this?! Are you pirates?! Rebels?!" He raised the shotgun beside the pistol.

"Kid, drop the guns, and we'll play twenty-one question with you all day." The lizard spoke.

"No, your drop your guns first! I am a UNSC Officer! I Demand to know what's going on!" Alpha then felt dizzy, but fought it off.

"What is this UNSC you speak of?" A female voice said.

Then, two women walked in. Alpha tried his best not to let their beauty distract him. One had deep blue skin, with tentacle-like appendages on here head the same color. She also had deep blue eyes, and wore a business-like armored suit.

The other was even more distracting than the first. She had beautiful, long, auburn hair, the same shade he had! With deep baby-blue eyes to boot! She wore a tight-fitting uniform on her body, with straps for a gun holster. Her hair, her lips, the shape of her body, only one word could describe this woman to Alpha: Perfect.

"You don't know about the UNSC?! Who _are_ you...?" Alpha had let his guard down. A woman with gray hair nailed him with a syringe of sedative in the neck. He yelped and shoved her away, but the damage had been done. He began to lose consciousness again. He couldn't hold onto the guns! They slipped out of his hands as he fell on his knees, catching himself with his arms. He pulled the now-empty syringe out of his neck.

"Just lie still. Be calm. Deep, slow breaths." The perfect-looking woman spoke, kneeling down to face him. "Don't fight the sedative. Everything will be explained when you wake up."

Alpha then blacked out for the second time that day.

"You alright, Tali? Doctor Chakwas?" Garrus said, helping them up.

"Yes. we're fine." She said. "Thank you..."

"Looks like you're 'different dimension' theory is holding true so far, Liara." Miranda commented. "He behaved as if he didn't know the Systems Alliance at all."

"So far, my theory proves correct. But he mentioned pirates and rebels. This worries me..." Lira had that look again, her chin in her palm.

"One thing's for sure: The kid knows how to handle himself!" Wrex laughed. "I haven't seen any human that bold either, if he is willing to jump through a glass window with only pants and a fractured leg!"

"But he was hardly phased by it!" Tali exclaimed. "It's almost as if he was a trained alliance marine!"

"The only way we will find out now is when he wakes up." Mirand said. "Doctor Chakwas, I advise restraints this time, not only for our safety, but for his."

Miranda took another look at the man. He seemed so headstrong. She just hoped he wouldn't get into any trouble.

Little did she know, trouble usually found him.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**SHOCK AND AWE**

_**SSV NORMANDY SR-2**_

_**Docked with Citadel**_

Alpha awoke again some time later, to the uncomfortable restraints that held him down on the bed. His vision was hazy for a moment, but cleared. Standing above him was the gray-haired woman and the perfect-looking one. He looked over to his side to see the Bird-Cat and Lizard over near the door.

"The restraints are for everyone's safety, not just ours. And no, you're not a prisoner of war." She said.

"Who are you and where am I?" Alpha asked, a serious look on his face.

"My name is Miranda Lawson. That's Garrus Vakarain and Urdnot Wrex. You're on the _SSV Normandy._" She explained. "We rescued you from a crash landing on an uncharted world. You nearly died, and would have if we had not replaired and replaced some of your cybernetics..."

"Repaired and replaced?!" Alpha fought hard to retain his rage. Only Seth knew enough about him to make such drastic changes. "You know you might have killed me with such recklessness?"

"We had no choice. It was either that, or put your body in a coffin." Miranda said. "You were basically on life support while we did most of it. Then, after we took you off and were finishing, you woke up."

Alpha calmed down. He understood then, that he should be thankful that he wasn't dead.

"I'm... Sorry." He apologized. "Thank you for saving me. But forgive me if I haven't heard of you before. I've never heard of a star ship named _SSV Normandy_. What faction are you part of?"

"Faction?" Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"The United National Space Command? The New-Covenant? Are you with earth's Office of Naval Intelligence or something? What am I missing here?"

Miranda sighed. Then, she turned to Garrus.

"Garrus, go get Liara." She said.

Garrus then exited the room and a moment later, returned with the blue alien woman he saw earlier.

"Can you at least let me up, Ms. Lawson?" He asked.

"Only if you agree not to pull more stunts like the last one." Miranda said. "Your leg is still healing from the medi-gel."

"Well, you did save my life, after all. What would I have to gain from doing that again?" Alpha asked.

Miranda then let him up. Alpha sat up and realized just how sore he was. Also, he looked at some of his wounds fresh from that skirmish, and at his leg, the sleeve of the pant leg rolled up. They were covered in some sort of pasty, gel-like substance. He assumed this was the "medi-gel" they referred to. It looked like grape jelly. Stuck like it, too, and the smell of it he couldn't really describe. Though it wasn't unpleasant, it was sterile. His skin was absorbing it.

That's when Miranda and the others noticed the older scars on the front and back of his chest.

"What did that?" She asked, pointing them out.

"Plasma sword." Alpha answered. "It went straight through. I was lucky to have lived."

Miranda's eyes widened in surprise. Whatever this Plasma sword was, it must have been similar to an Omni-blade to cause that kind of damage. Liara was equally horrified.

"Those are scars of war." Wrex said. "Are you a soldier?"

"Aren't you?" Alpha asked.

"Nah. I'm just old." Wrex laughed.

"You Mentioned a 'United National Space Command.' Is that a branch of the Earth Systems Alliance?"

Alpha raised an eyebrow. "What's the hell is the Earth Systems Alliance?"

So far, Liara's theory was right on. She finally asked one last question.

"Do you know what day it is, sir?"

"Ha! Of course!" Alpha laughed. "It's August 5th, 2564! Today the Sangheili Alliance and UNSC signed the treaty of Reach, and are now officialy allies! Plus, Master Chief was put back on active... Wait. This isn't where or when I think it is, is it?"

The look on Liara's face told it all.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

**OLD ENEMIES REBORN**

_**Citadel – Zakera ward**_

Alpha felt a little uncomfortable as he walked across Zakera ward in civilian clothing. He wasn't used to going anywhere without his armor. The Citadel, as it was called, was a technological marvel. How it was possibly built was mind-boggling. He looked out a window, and saw Earth, hovering in space like a giant blue and green marble.

But he knew it wasn't his Earth. This wasn't the earth he had studied about on Haven Prime, far from it actually. Besides that, the technologies surrounding "Mass-Effect" fields was also a complete unknown to him. He would need a lot of teaching and help if he was going to survive here, let alone find his way back to his own galaxy.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Alpha turned around to see Dr. Liara T'soni, one of his rescuers from the

_Normandy_.

"Yeah. It seems a lot more peaceful than the Earth I knew..." Alpha said. "It doesn't seem as divided as my Earth was..."

"Was your earth going through civil war?" She asked.

"Something like that." Alpha answered. "There was a group known as the Insurrectionists, they were trying to overthrow the earth and colonial governments."

"So were you a solider?"

"With all due respect, Doctor, I'd rather not talk about it right now. Not that I see how it matters anyway. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to go back."

"I wish we could help you more, Alpha, but the mass relays are still a big mystery to us. Not much is known about them, even by our standards."

"I guessed as much." Alpha sighed.

_**Meanwhile, at an old Cerberus research facility**_

The Turian woke up. He was exhausted. Where was he? Then again, who was he? He couldn't remember... Then things began to rush back to him. The Citadel... Reapers... The incoming invasion... And then a name hit him. A name that caused him great anger...

Shepard.

He bolted upright on the bed he was laying on. He was in what appeared to be a hospital facility. He then looked over to the other side of the room. A woman was standing there. She had blonde hair, and bright piercing blue eyes, dressed in a business skirt.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Saren Arterius." She said


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**NEW GEAR**

"Who are you?" Saren asked.

"That is unimportant. Just call me Natalie. I'm the daughter of the now late 'Illusive Man.'"

Saren recognized that name. The memories were flooding back into his mind. Shepard, the Citadel, the beacons... his suicide...

"How much time has passed since I... died?" He asked.

"Two years have gone by since the Reapers' invasion." She answered. "Your nemesis, Shepard, somehow managed to stop the invasion, at the cost of his own life, and the mass relays. The reapers are now just as illusive as my father was, only emerging during potential conflict, along with reconstructing the relays. I believe he is now the controlling mind of the reapers."

Saren didn't think it was possible. But then again, just about anything was possible with the Reapers. He remembered _Sovereign_ quite well.

"Very well. Now why did you bring me back, Natalie?" He asked, shifting his position on the medical bed.

"Simple. I want revenge. And so do you. It's not that obvious. We can work together, and kill Shepard's old friends, along with anyone else that gets in our way. After all, doesn't everyone like revenge?"

Saren showed a Turian hint of a smile at that statement.

_**Normandy SR-2**_

_**Armory and Shuttle Bay...**_

_**Two Days Later...**_

James Vega came down from the elevator into the shuttle bay to find sparks flying from the workbench, along with the sounds of grinding metal. It stopped shortly after he got off.

To his great surprise, he saw Alpha using the workbench for something. He just extinguished a blowtorch when James spoke up.

"What the hell are you doing down here?!"

Alpha froze before he could do anything else. He slowly turned around, as Vega stepped forward to see what Alpha was building: An armor suit, comprised partly of metal and the usual ceramics.

"Let's admit it: This isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing so far..." He managed to say.

But Vega wasn't about to scold him. The kid actually used excellent craftsmanship. The armor had jet thrusters similar to that of the Normandy's engines, except on a much smaller scale. He was amazed. He examined the armor more closely, and it appeared to use both the energy shields from his old armor, along with kinetic barriers! Along with hidden weapon storage, most likely for grenades.

"Did you design this yourself?" Vega asked, astonished.

"I had a little help from EDI..." Alpha said.

"To be more precise, Mr. Vega, Alpha downloaded designs for the _Normandy_ while we were at the citadel, and incorporated some of it's engineering into his new armor. He calls it: _Mirage III_."

Vega just shook his head. "You some sort of hacker, in your dimension?"

"I was designed for infiltration. Also survival. That's why I built this. My old _Mirage II _armor was destroyed when you rescued me. It was melted and burnt, so I couldn't use it anymore. I needed new armor, so I decided to put some ingenuity to work."

He then started to put the armor on, layer by layer, over his jumpsuit, trying it on. It fit him like a second skin. He was pleased with his work. The armor even included an Omni-tool, complete with an array of Omni-Blade selections. The armor itself was colored a dark blue, with electric-green lights. He walked over to the docked kodiak shuttle, and looked at his reflection. Not that bad, he thought.

"So are you planning on going somewhere?" Vega asked.

"Eventually. I'll need to figure out how to get home, so I can't stay on the _Normandy _forever." Alpha said. "I need to better understand these Mass Relays that you have. It might be my only way back."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

**OPENING MOVE**

_**Normandy SR-2**_

_**Two weeks later...**_

Alpha had been pouring through the files on Liara's shadow broker terminal about the relays. So far, no luck yet. It was the night shift on the _Normandy_, and everyone else was asleep. Well, except for the night shift, of course. Liara had been kind enough to let him use the terminal after hours. He was thankful that she was helping him. He sipped some coffee from a thermos he brought, then started reading through files on the citadel, the mass relay control center. He was reading something about a catalyst. He was halfway through the file when Liara walked up to him. She was wearing a bathrobe.

"You okay?" Alpha asked.

"...I couldn't sleep."

"I understand. I'll go now..."

"It's not you, Alpha." Liara said. She then walked over to the window. "I just... I miss him..."

"...Who?" Alpha dared to ask.

"...Shepard."

Alpha immediately knew who she was talking about. Commander Enzzo Shepard. He knew that Liara was very close to the commander as well. She spent a lot of time in his old cabin on the ship, referred to as "The Loft". That had perked his interest, and he read into Shepard's entire history, from his victory in the Skillian Blitz, all the way to his death at the end of the reaper war. Quite frankly, despite all his advancements, he didn't know what exactly to say to Liara to help her.

"It's hard losing someone you care about." He finally managed to say.

"Yes... It is..." He then noticed Liara was starting to cry. He walked up beside her, looking out into the void of space.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Doctor." Alpha said. He was still at a loss for words. After all, he was a soldier, not a grievance counselor. But despite this, he always tried his best to help people, no matter what.

"I've lost friends and family too." Alpha did his best to comfort the Asari he barely knew. "To be honest, I never really got to know my father that well. He was murdered by the enemy shortly after my creation. I know it may be different, but it's still loss. My sympathies are with you, Liara T'soni."

Liara stopped crying. She seemed to be a bit better now. Alpha's empathy seemed to have that

kind of effect with people.

Then, they saw something out the window. It looked like a crusier. But it didn't have alliance markings. But Liara immediately recognized them: It was Cerberus!

And the _Normandy_ was in their crosshairs!

"Brace for evasive manuvers!" Joker yelled over the intercom. The next thing Alpha knew, the _Normandy_ rocked hard to port, or what seemed like port anyway, sending him and Liara stumbling. He caught her before she went headfirst into one of the screens on the wall. It was an awkward moment, but Alpha helped her up, keeping things professional.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yes, but we had better get our gear. Who knows what they'll pull..."

At that moment, the Normandy shook violently.

"Dammit! Liara, get up here! Cerberus installed a collector particle beam on that cruiser!"

"I need to go get my armor! It's still in the shuttel bay!" Alpha ran out the door.

"Be careful!" Liara yelled after him as the door shut.

The _Normandy _rocked back and forth as Alpha crawled through the ducts. He then jumped out of the duct that led to the shuttle bay. There was a laser welding through the hull! Boarding parties! He ran for the workbench, and rapidly threw on his armor. He just was grabbing some guns from the rack when the hull gave. There was a whoosh, then the mass effect fields kicked in, retaining the atmosphere.

What he saw were heavily armed Cerberus troops jumping in through the hole. They started firing on anything that moved. Alpha and the bay workers returned the favor, with any and all weapons they had in the bay. Gunfire flew from what seemed every direction, as Alpha sprayed the Cerberus troops with an M-8 Avenger, using his thrusters to jet around the open parts of the bay.

Then he was hit by a biotic blast. It sent him flying into the ceiling. He then saw who hit him with that biotic attack. It was a Turian. But not like Garrus. This one seemed a hybrid of tech and flesh, like he was! He threw around the bay crew like rag dolls! Then, Alpha landed on the floor, right at the Turian's feet. It's unnatural blue eyes staring him down.

"Well what's this?" He said, picking up Alpha by the throat. He had taken an interest in him, it seemed.

Saren looked at the young, lean human in blue armor. It wasn't like any armor design he'd seen before. He could also see cybernetics on the left side of his face. An eye implant, covered by a visor. What had they been doing on the _Normandy _recently? Independent research? He'd have to take this back to Cerberus if he had the chance.

"Who are you?" The human asked, struggling in his grasp. Hmm, he didn't know who he was. Oh well, no sense in hiding his identity.

"Saren Arterius. The galaxy may have forgotten me, but it will soon remember my name _very_ well, _very _soon. As will you."

He then threw the human into the boarding pod, just as Liara and Garrus stepped out of the elevator.

"Long time no see Garrus..." He said after throwing them into the wall with a biotic shockwave.

Garrus then looked, up, and his mandibles dropped.

"No! Your dead! _Your dead!_" Garrus yelled.

"Not anymore. If you want your experiment back, meet me on Ilos. I'll be expecting you."

He then jumped back in the pod, as Cerberus troops restrained his captive prize. The pod detached, and they departed the _Normandy_. The bay crew had gotten up again, and were firing at the pod as it closed, screaming a lot of obscene human profanities. Saren then turned to his captive. The human.

"Don't worry." He chuckled, knelling down to see the human eye to eye. "I have a feeling that while we're waiting for them, you and I will get to know each other _very _well."

The fear in the human's eyes blossomed open like a flower at the sound of that comment.

Alpha was now afraid. More afraid thane he had been in his entire life. What kind of twisted plans did Saren have in store for him?! Torture? Experimentation? Death? His breathing reached a panicking point, while he struggled as the Cerberus officer stuck a syringe in his neck, and he lost consciousness.

_**Cerberus Cruiser Dragon's Breath**_

_**Brig**_

_**In orbit of Ilos**_

_**Two days later...**_

Alpha woke up. He was laying on the floor of what appeared to be a ship's brig. He got up, and looked around. There, on the other side of the room, was Saren. He was behind a Mass Effect field, that led to the exit.

Alpha's armor was gone. He was wearing a Cerberus jumpsuit. Well, part of it, anyway. The top was gone, revealing his upper body, and the cybernetics embedded into it.

"Very interesting implants you have." Saren said. He lowered the mass effect field, and stepped in. "I don't believe I've ever seen anything like them."

"I'm not really from around this part of the galaxy." Alpha said.

"So you're not part of the Alliance, then?" He asked.

"Belive me Saren, where I come from, the Alliance doesn't even exist." Alpha answered, not wanting to reveal too much information to him.

Saren just looked at Alpha, walking around him. "Do you have a name?"

"It's Alpha. And I don't want to be part of this conflict that you have with the Alliance."

Saren could tell he was hiding something. "Then why were you on the _Normandy_? Last I remembered, they weren't ferrying passengers across the galaxy."

"They Rescued me from pirates."

Saren could tell he was not telling him the whole truth. He was no fool. "For some reason, I don't believe you."

"Well then answer some of my questions!" Alpha snapped. "Why did you attack the _Normandy_? What's your angle with all of this?"

Saren then shoved him against the wall.

"Don't test me, Alpha." He growled with a glare that would send a Krogan crying into a corner.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7 **

**MEETING OF THE MINDS**

_**Normandy SR-2**_

"Well, thank god for cyclonic technology..." Joker sighed. "It saved us from the worst of it..."

"But what are we going to do about Alpha?" Liara asked. "If they find out who he really is and where he came from..."

For the first time, Miranda was actually worried. She could relate with Liara. Just what would Saren have in store? And when did Cerberus push aside their xenophobia against aliens? Hell, why was Cerberus still in existence?

"We need to rescue him!" Garrus said. "The last thing Cerberus needs is another way to make a weapon. If they could reverse engineer his technology, it wouldn't be good for anyone! EDI, how bad was the Normandy damaged in that attack?"

"We have minor hull damage. As Jeff said, the Cyclonic barriers took most of the damage. The hull plating saved us from some major hull breaches. The repairs from dry dock put us back in top condition."

Thank goodness for that, Garrus thought.

"Then let's start planning this rescue." He commanded. "Cerberus has a big enough head start already. Miranda, any ideas?"

"I still have contact with an ex-Cerberus agent of mine who could help us out. He goes by the title 'Agent Nine.'"

_**Cerberus Cruiser Dragon's breath**_

Alpha sat alone in his cell, sitting like a monk in meditation. His eyes closed, as he was deep in thought. He was trying to figure out a way to escape. Saren had just come back from something. He was watching him vigilantly.

Saren couldn't help but be amused as he watched the human meditiate. The human had lost it from his perspective. Then, Alpha looked up at him.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"Let's just say I was hired to take out Commander Shepard's old friends. For Vengeance's sake."

"What do you have against them?"

"It's none of your concern."

"Then why hide it?" Alpha could tell there was more to Saren's story than there seemed to be. He was bitter about something. Hate seemed to emanate from him, but it couldn't just be because of Shepard. There was something deeper. Something he wasn't willing to face.

"It has nothing to do with you. Don't start taking offense."

"No! I will take offense!" Alpha stood up. "I want to know why you hate Shepard so much!"

Saren lost his temper again, and stormed into the cell. Just what Alpha was looking forward to. He was holding a gadget he had improvised just for this situation. A cybernetic mind link, forged from some of his exposed cybernetics when Saren wasn't around. When attached to any living intelligent creature, he could literally get inside their head. He had done this to a few of his enemies to get data from them. It worked both ways, but it was a chance Alpha had to take.

Saren tried to tackle him into the wall, but Alpha jumped out of the way, pivoting around Saren. He then jumped onto his back, and slapped the mind link onto his head, hanging on with all his strength. Saren was a lot stronger than he realized. He thrashed around as Alpha activated the link. He was now in Saren's mind.

"Get out of my head!" Saren screamed, thrashing harder than ever.

"Stop Struggling! Let me follow the current to it's sorce!" Alpha put him in a choke hold. He could see the truth. He didn't hate Shepard. He hated humans altogether! He went deeper into Saren's mind, and then saw the why. His brother, and his only love were murdered by humans in the First contact war! They both died in his arms, at different times. He could feel the overwhelming pour of emotion form those events! How he had vowed vengeance for the fallen. And by the war's end, he had become so bitter and hateful, he felt he didn't need a reason to hate them. He just did. Then he saw fear. When he first encountered the Reaper _Sovereign_. The pain he felt when he was being augmented by it. Saren felt so violated, the augmentations almost seemed like a sort of rape. That seemed to tip the balance and make him more hateful than ever.

But Saren then began to fight back, getting into Alpha's mind. Seeing his past. His involvement with Project: Umbra and the United National Space Command. How he was the Umbra Prototype. Lighter than the Spartans. Meant more for infiltration and stealth. He then saw all he cared about: Master Chief, The Arbiter, and his other allies and freinds. The Covenant and New-covenant wars. How his father died. The Haven Prime incident. He saw how he was pursued by the New-covenant and how he passed through a relay, which he thought was an artifact left by a race called the Forerunners...

Saren was starting to lose consciousness, and his patience. He started to slam into the back of the brig's wall. Several times doing this caused Alpha to lose his grip. He fell down, losing his Grip on Saren. He stood over Alpha, now very angry, as he removed the Mind link. It was worse than the augmentations! He had never felt so violated in his life! He bent down, and looked at him straight in his eyes.

"You will regret that." He growled, grabbing his neck.

Alpha wasn't afraid. ""Oh, really?" He fixed a cold glare similar to the one Saren gave him earlier, digging his fingers into his arm, throwing him back."If the device worked as I thought, you would've seen my side of the story, too! You are weak, former Spectre! Letting an old grudge fester until it drives you mad! I once walked the same path, but it got me nowhere! I didn't let it hold me back from becoming what I was meant to be! I pity you, letting deaths of friends and family hold you back from making things right!"

Saren then remembered when he killed himself in front of Commander Shepard.

_"__You can still redeem yourself!"_ He heard the words echo in his mind. He didn't like this. He still denied it, but the denial was now much weaker than It had been.

He shoved Alpha down before he could takle him, trying to bottle up his doubt. He then exited the cell, and raised the mass effect field to prevent Alpha from getting out.

"Be ready to go down to Ilos." He warned. "You will be the bait for Shepard's friends."

"Like hell I will!" Alpha yelled.

"You don't have a choice, Prototype Umbra Unit Zero-Zero-One." Saren snapped back with some wit, gassing Alpha's cell with knockout vapor.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

**NINE BALL, CORNER POCKET**

_**Afterlife night club**_

_**Omega**_

Miranda walked into the bar with a reluctant Jack, whom had decided to join up in Alpha's rescue. Ashley Williams was also there. This was where the mysterious Agent Nine had told her where they would meet. They had recently installed a lot of Billiard tables on the second level.

"Are you sure he'll be here, cheerleader?" Jack questioned.

"Nine is one of my most trusted agents." Miranda explained. "When the Illusive man put him under me, he followed orders to the letter. He split from Cerberus when I did, and he owes me a few favors. He's a powerful biotic. Practiced and looked for upgrades every day when he worked with the Illusive man. He'll be here. Most likely near those Billiard Tables. Last I saw him, he still played the game. Even skimmed some credits from other players."

"You mean he was a Pool Hustler?" Ashley asked.

"Yes, and a very skilled one." Miranda answered. "He should be somewhere here with Jacob."

They walked up the stairs to the second level. Sure enough, Miranda saw Jacob and Nine. Nine wasshooting pool with someone. He still had his jet-black hair, and still wore the black leather jacket, fiber-optic shades, and padded blue jeans he wore when he was with Cerberus, though he ripped off the Cerberus crest on the arm of the jacket and replaced it with a red number nine billiard ball. From the looks of it, he had just finished the game.

"I can't believe you beat me..." His opponent said, handing over a load of credits.

"There's always someone better than ya out there. Sooner or later, they catch up with ya." Nine answered. "I'm still looking for someone to catch up with me." He and Jacob then turned around, and saw Miranda. He approached.

"Miranda." Jacob greeted. "I came here with Nine as quick as I could."

"Good to see you, Miri!" Nine said with a smile.

"Likewise, Nine." Miranda responded as they shook hands.

"Just get on with it, cheerleader!" Jack sneered.

"Ah, Jackie." Nine looked over at her. "Still as pissed as ever. I see."

"Don't push it. What Cerberus did to me was wrong. Now they're back, and are probably going to do what they did with me to someone else."

Nine wasn't amused. He turned back to Miranda. "Well, shit. We can't have that now, can we? I always hated the Subject Zero project. There are less questionable ways to bring out Biotic potential."

"Don't pull the therapy shit with me." Jack warned.

"I wasn't talkin' to you, Jackie." He took off his shades, revealing gray-colored eyes in a leer. He then turned to Miranda "So, care to fill us in?"

"Yes, but only on the _Normandy_. It's the only secure place to discuss this."

Nine put his cue back on the rack. "Lead the way, Miri."

_**Normandy SR-2**_

_**En route to Ilos**_

All of Shepard's old squadmates were in the War room. At least those who were able to meet: Miranda, Wrex, Garrus, Ashley, Liara, James, Tali, Jack, and Jacob. Agent Nine looked like the oddball in the group. He had heard about Alpha and the situation when he was brought aboard, and they were forming a plan for once they got to Ilos.

"So you're tellin' me that Cerberus managed to refit one of their few remaining ships with a Collector particle beam?" Nine asked with a raised eyebrow. "What will they think of next?"

"So any ideas, Agent?" Wrex asked in an intimidating tone.

"Well, from the description of the Cruiser, I'd say it's the _Dragon's Breath_. They were tryin' to refit it with collector tech when Me and Miri quit. I don't know how they did it, but I was on board it when they started. That was before I gave the Illusive man my letter of resignation in the form of an explodin' billiard ball."

"You and your pool balls..." Jack rolled her eyes.

"Luckily for you, I've been looking into this Ceberus resurgence. I still have some pass codes and cipher crackers I cooked up. Got it all here on my Omni-tool." He linked his Omni-tool with the Holoprojector in the war room, braining up the cruiser's blueprints. "This thing has also been overhauled with Cyclonic Barriers, but not with hull plating. If we could sneak up on it and take out their engines, it would be easy to rescue your captive friend. I'd recommend the Thanix Cannon with some Javelin torpedoes. It should be enough to cut through their shields."

"What about their particle beam?" Garrus asked.

"Don't worry. It's not like it's a turret. They can only fire it off their forward bow. As long as we stay aft of the Cruiser, we should be fine. The only thing they could hit us with from that angle would either be torpedoes or their engine exhaust."

"Five minutes from the mu Relay." Joker reported.

"Alright." Garrus said. "We're going to disable that cruiser and send a team on board. Since you have the most knowledge about this cruiser, you're going with Miranda and Jack onto that cruiser to find Alpha. Now let's get ready for the assault. We still have a large selection of guns in the armory. Go down and get your gear."

"Glady." Nine said with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

**IT'S A TRAP!**

_**The Conduit**_

_**Ilos' Surface**_

Natalia, dressed in Cerberus armor, waited patiently as Saren and some Cerberus troopers chained Alpha up against the ruins of the _Conduit _at gunpoint while he started to wake up. Nothing like staring down a barrel that would mean your imminent death if you didn't obey. The Prothean-made Relay had been taken offline permanently by Citadel forces when they shot it from orbit sometime afterthe reaper war. Now it was just a pile of twisted scrap. Perfect for the trap.

She had it all played out: Shepard's friends would come rushing in to save the hostage, then the Atlas mechs would emerge from the trees, shooting down their shuttle. And if they survived, they'd have to deal with a platoon of Cerberus troops, mainly phantoms with heat sensing equipment. Turrets would also be deployed around Alpha. They would deploy jamming smoke grenades, blanket the entire area. Then they would all be blind, and fresh for the slaughter. And even if they did reach Alpha, they would get pulverized by the Armor-piercing ammo turrets.

"Don't consider this personal, boy." Natalie said as Alpha was gagged by a Cerberus trooper. "You are just a pawn in a lethal chess game. Nothing personal. Don't take this the wrong way, but you'll die anyway." She chuckled.

What she didn't know was the mind link that Alpha still had with Saren. Whether it was the tech he constructed the device with, or the alien's bio markers, Alpha didn't know. But he could still hear Saren's thoughts. It was also true the other way around. The Turian could sense the human's fear for Shepard's friends as if it were a strong stench in the air he couldn't evade, or a constant sound that wouldn't stop ringing in his ears. Alpha was pleading for Saren to put a stop to this. It was eating away at his resolve, starting to drive him mad.

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Natalie laughed. "Nothing like unadulterated violence to get the heart pumping..."

"Can we _please GET ON WITH IT?!_" Saren snapped, clearly edgy.

:All right, all right! No wonder daddy disliked Turians. They're no fun at all..." muttered as she waved signals for the troops to do final prep for the ambush.

Her Omni-tool beeped, as did Saren's. A Shuttle was approaching the perimeter. No doubt they had searched the decoy cruiser. They quickly got behind cover. Saren had out an Arc Projector, primed and ready. Alpha felt so helpless, thrashing and struggling in his bindings. What would he do? Hell, what _could _he do?! Here he was, being used to bait out what he thought were the only people that could help him get home, and he couldn't do anything to stop it! He closed his eyes, as the shuttle appeared on the horizon, saying a mental prayer for some sort of miracle to happen, so the _Normandy_ crew wouldn't have to die.

Unfortunately, the only one who he thought could pull off that miracle was getting ready to fry them all with an Arc Projector...

_**Meanwhile, in the Kodiak shuttle...**_

After examining the empty cruiser, the team had deduced they were on the surface. The whole team was in the shuttle except for Joker and Edi. They were going all out. Either they were going to save Alpha or die trying.

"I've got a fix on Alpha's implants! The signal's coming from over there, next to the _Conduit_!" Liara exclaimed.

"Wait a minute. Put down the shuttle, Somethin's not right here..." Nine said.

"Don't tell me your chickening out on us!" Wrex snapped.

"For once, could you stop and think, Wrex?" Nine snapped back. "This is Cerberus we're talking about. If they're planin' what I think, then going in there guns blazin' would be suicide."

"I'll put us down as close as I can get us to him without giving us away." Liara said. She maneuvered the shuttle for an approach.

As they landed, they barely saw the approaching missile volley that was heading towards them.

"BLAST! IT'S A TRAP!" Nine yelled. He threw open the shuttle hatch. "BAIL OUT! BAIL OUT!"

And with that, everyone dove out of the shuttle right before the missiles hit their mark. They hit the ground, some ungracefully.

"Goddess!" Liara gasped as she saw the remains of the shuttle hit the ground, exploding in a fireball. Then, they heard the mechs.

"Oh Bollocks." Nine bared his teeth. He then helped up Liara "Let's move, or we'll be royally screwed!"

And with that, they ran for cover as the mechs stated to tear down some of the trees.

Alpha thrashed and screamed into the gag when he saw the shuttle go down. He couldn't believe it! They were dead in the water!

Natalie noticed this, and was quite annoyed. But then her twisted mind thought of an idea to pass the time, and to shut him up: She got out her Hornet, and pumped a few rounds into Alpha's side. He screamed in pain.

But what surprised her is that Saren yelped out in pain as well. She turned to him. He was holding his stomach, bleeding in the exact same spot where she shot Alpha! Saren couldn't believe this! The link went deeper than it seemed! They could not only hear each others' thoughts; They could feel the pain and injury of the other as well! He looked at his hand, then at Natalie. The feedback from Alpha was so intense, he would have swore he, himself, had been shot. He then saw one truth: if he was to survive, they would both have to escape!

So he aimed the Arc Projector at Natalie, and fired. She was blown clean off her feet at the sudden attack, feedback going through her armor.

Saren took advantage of the distraction, and cut Alpha's bindings to the _Conduit _with his Omni-blades. He the picked up Alpha, whom was still bound up, and ran as fast as he could towards the nearby Prothean ruins.

Wrex growled in annoyance as he got out his Grall Spike thrower, and fired at the nearest Atlas mech. Agent Nine was muttering British profanities as he shot with an Incisor sniper rifle, picking off targets behind a large rock with Garrus, whom was using a Viper model. Meanwhile, Ashley and James were picking off targets at mid range, spraying them with Reverent assault rifles. Tali had deployed her defense drone to manage the groups' shields, shotgunning down Phantoms who got too close, Jack, Liara, and Miranda throwing them back with their biotics. Their cover would not last forever, and the numbers were so overwhelming. Then, all of a sudden, it stopped, as if they received new orders. The Cerberus forces turned to the Prothean ruins, shooting in that general direction. The team looked for what they were looking at.

They saw why they had stopped. Saren had Alpha, whom was bleeding, and was heading inside the ruins!

Saren didn't stop running until he was well within the archives. He took the elevator to Vigil's old control room, and locked it down after he got off by shooting the lift mechanism. He lay Alpha down on the ground, who was grimacing in pain. He had some medi-gel in case he got shot. Looks like he'd have to divide it up between them. He passed some on Alpha's multiple bullet wounds, then his.

"Just hold still, I've got some Medi-Gel. You're going to be all right..."

Alpha then grabbed Saren by the fringe.

"All right?! ALL RIGHT?!" He snarled. "I could use a really FUCKIN' BIG BLASTER! Also booze!"

Yep. He would live.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHPATER 10**

**DARKNESS AND LIGHT**

_**Meanwhile...**_

The _Normandy_ had just been called down from orbit to deliver a punishing air strike to aid the team. The Cerberus troops didn't make it to the entrance, and were routed. For the time, at least.

Now, they were inside the ruins, searching for Saren and Alpha. They were having to climb down the elevator shaft, since it wouldn't summon. Saren obviously sabotaged it. But what they didn't understand is why take him inside the ruins? Nine suggested he had been betrayed, since there was some Turian blood along with human blood. Miranda and Liara feared the worst.

"Goddess, I hope he's not dead..." Liara mutterd as they continued the climb down the shaft.

"You and me both." Miranda said.

_**Down in Vigil's room...**_

Saren looked around the room for another exit, As Alpha propped himself up against the wall. He was holding his side where he had been shot. After the "Blaster" Comment, he had let loose with a whole bunch of profanities. It took all of Saren's restraint not to sock him in the mouth right then. But now he had calmed down a bit. He was still breathing heavily, obviously from pain, since he got shot with no armor.

"There doesn't seem to be another way out of this place." Saren thought out loud. Alpha just laughed. Thought it was a very painful laugh. The Medi-gel had stopped their bleeding, but their wounds were still fairly fresh.

"Well, shit. That's just great." Alpha managed to get out. He slid down the wall to the floor in a sitting position. He was very tired, but determination, paranoia, adrenaline, and pain kept him awake and alert. He honestly didn't know how Saren was able to keep on his feet after what happened. Must be a Turian thing, he thought.

"Turians are not as frail as humans, augmented or not." Saren said, reading Alpha's thought.

"Easy for you to say." Alpha said with a grimace. "You only got the feedback. You don't have bullet shards piercing _your_ skin..."

"...But I know how it feels. I guess I've just adapted to it better than you." Saren cut him off. He had that hint of a smile again.

"Smart ass." Alpha grinned. He then coughed up some blood.

Saren tasted his own blood in his mouth as well. Now he was hoping they'd be found.

He knelt down by Alpha, looking at his face.

"Why does it seem like you're trying to help me? What do you get out of this?"

"The fact that I just save people from themselves is reward enough for me..." Alpha coughed again. "Call me the noble paragon that wants to save everyone he can."

Saren then felt Alpha's forehead. He was hot. Figures, he thought. Poison bullets. This was exactly how his brother died. Poisoned with polonium rounds. He shook his head, looking at Alpha's wound.

"Worried?" Alpha breathed. "That's a surprise from you."

"Guess your noble paragon side is rubbing off on me." Saren retorted.

"Good. I guess it wasn't too late for you after all." He looked up at the hole in the ceiling where the light shined through. He wondered how Master Chief and the others were doing without him. If the New-Covies were attacking while he wasn't around. He wondered, would they be able to get by without him? What if he died here, in this room? A feeling of dread passed over him.

Saren then sat down next to him, looking at the same hole in the ceiling "...Why don't you tell me about this Master Chief? Or more about yourself, and this Umbra Project you were part of?" Saren asked. He must have thought their time was up as well. Not a good sign.

"All right. I guess we're gonna die anyway." Alpha breathed, leaning back against the cold wall. "I was born on a colony called Mercuris..."

_**Some time later...**_

Liara was relived when they reached the elevator roof. It seemed like an eternity for the time it took them to get down the elevator shaft. Wrex pried the roof panel off with his bare hands. Garrus went in first, with his Phaestron out and ready. He signaled it was clear. The rest of the group dropped down through the shaft, one by one. He was the first to find Saren and Alpha, sitting, backs against a wall, out cold. It looked like they had both been shot. Strangely, blood was on Saren's side, right in the same location as Alpha's wound. It couldn't have been a coincidence.

"Rise and Shine, Saren!" Wrex boomed. Saren opened his eyes partially. It was then Garrus noticed beads of sweat all across his forehead. Alpha was sweating too. But it was cold. He checked their pulses. They were weakening, erratic!

"Miranda, Liara! Something's wrong with them!" Garrus shouted. Miranda ran her Omni-tool over them in a scan.

"They're showing signs of exposure to polonium!" She gasped. "We have to get them out of here and back to the _Normandy_!"

"I fixed the Elevator." Tali called from the shaft. "It will be a much shorter trip up."

"Good." Wrex smiled. "Maybe now we'll get some answers."

Wrex bent down and picked up Alpha, while Garuus and Nine lifted Saren's arms around their shoulders. They walked into the elevator. The motor whirred as it made it's ascent back to the surface.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

**FOR FEW MEN DARE TO DREAM...**

Alpha was some sort of park, full of trees. Saren was at his side. Alpha also had his armor back. They looked around. The sky was dark, and ashes were falling overhead. What was going on?

They stated to walk together through the park. There were shadows... Dark figures of people he recognized. Saren seemed to recognize a few as well, since some had the outline of a Turian.

Then, as they walked further, he could hear voices:

"I'm sorry... I should have been more careful.." Alpha recognized that voice! It was Axl!

He tried to say something back, but he couldn't. It was like someone had put his voice on mute... Then, there were other voices as they continued walking.

"You did a good job today, kid." That time, it was Massey.

"The tattoo on your wrist is so we know who you are..." It was Chief, that time.

Then the Arbiter. "Good. You are learning..."

He then heard voices that Saren remembered. Apparently, the link was valid even in their dreams.

"Saren, this wasn't your fault..." A female Turian voice spoke. Then a couple more, male this time.

"Don't cry for me, brother. I regret nothing."

"Good work, Spectre."

Alpha was starting to wonder if he had died when in a clearing, they saw a child. A human child, a boy, playing with a toy space fighter, laughing in joy. They walked up to him. The boy then looked up at them, his joy changed to fear.

Then there ground shook. There was a red light that shined over the whole park, and a sound that felt like a drill to the skull, boring right into the brain. Alpha nearly lost his balance, even Saren seemed to stumble. The boy ran.

Alpha assumed they were in danger, and ran after the boy, Saren close behind. But he was so fast... How could he be so fast? Then, more voices.

"Okay, enough practice, musketeer." That time, it was Marcus Creed. Then, X and Zero.

"You can't stop change. No one can. You just have to live through it."

"Not bad kid. Not bad at all..."

Alpha and Saren finally caught up to the boy, and saw him run into the arms of a man. He had short, black hair. He looked Asian, with healed scars on his face and blue eyes. Alpha would have called it a "paragon" blue. He wore an alliance jumpsuit, and had dog tags around his neck. One of them had an N-7 emblem on it. Then, the man and the Child turned to face them, the man still smiling, holding the boy's hand.

One word worked it's way into Alpha's thoughts: Shepard. He was standing in front of Commander Enzzo Shepard!

Then, everything started to catch fire...

_**Normandy SR2**_

_**Med Bay**_

Alpha bolted upright, gasping for air. He realized it was a dream. He realized that he now had bandages over where he got shot. He looked around. He was in _Normandy_'s med bay, on a bed. As was Saren, who was also awake. Though he was held in restraints.

"You had us worried there." Doctor Chakwas said to Alpha. "How are you feeling?"

"Minor pain from the bullets. Feel a little light headed..." Alpha answered. Saren didn't struggle.

"You both took what appeared to be radiation poisoning from Polonium rounds, though we only found the shrapnel in your body." Doctor Chakwas explained. "I also detected some very unusual brain activity. From both you and Saren. Certain wavelengths travel along the same spectrum with both of you, perfectly in sync."

Great. Alpha thought. He then told Chakwas about the mind link and it's unexpected side effects.

"...Oh my." Doctor Chakwas said. "Well, at least we will have warning in advance with Saren this time. Oh, Hello Garrus." She said as Garrus walked in.

Garrus turned to look at Saren. He wasn't happy.

"I'll deal with you later." He said, then turned to Alpha. "How are you holding up?"

"I'll let the doctor tell you." He said.

When Garrus heard about the link he was furious.

"WHAT?!" His yell was probably heard all across the ship. He scolded Alpha harshly, saying what he did was too great of risk. He even yelled a few Turian words he didn't understand, most likely profanities. He went on and on about how he had just jeopardized not only his own well-being, but everyone on the ship as well, and how he expected better judgment on his part. He then stormed out, clearly steamed.

_Well, that went well_, Alpha thought.

_You know he'll tell everyone else, don't you?_ Saren looked at Alpha.

_That is inevitable, Saren. Nothing can be done about it now._

_**The War Room**_

"You're kidding." Jack laughed. "Please tell me you're kidding. They're... Connected?" Jack laughed again, holding her sides.

"I fail to see the humor in this, Jack!" Garrus showed his teeth. "This isn't funny! All that stands between Cerberus catching up to us now is the factor of corruption!"

"Wish we could just kill him..." Wrex sighed. He was distraught over the news of Saren's return to the living. It brought up memories better left forgotten.

"So what are we gonna do?!" Nine demanded. "We can't just let that arse nipple of a Turian start brainwashing everyone he sees in bloody sight like he did years ago! Please tell me you guys have some ideas! Anyone?!"

No answer. Just silence. Everyone was on edge now, and not in the mood to talk.

The only exception was Liara, since she wasn't there.

_**Mess hall**_

_**An hour later...**_

Alpha sat with Saren at the mess hall table. He had just barely manufactured another _Mirage-III_ suit. Saren was in hand cuffs and irons, drinking some alien beverage that he manged to concoct. Guards were watching his every move, rifles in hand. The only reason he was out here was because Alpha insisted. Alpha had just finished eating some rations, and had a data pad in his hands with information on the relays.

_Just who created the Mass Relays anyway?_ Alpha thought to Saren. He didn't want the guards to know what they were talking about.

_The Reapers._ Saren responded, hesitantly.

_Reapers?_ Alpha looked at him.

_A race of sentient starships. They came into existence eons ago, cleansing the galaxy of Organic life every fifty-thousand years. I don't know how, but Commander Shepard somehow stopped them._

_I read about that._ Alpha turned his head back to the data pad. _Though I didn't really know what the reapers were. I didn't get that far in my research. _

_Trust me, you're better off not knowing the whole story. _Saren took another drink.

Alpha put the pad down. _So where should I get information on the relays and how they work? Who should I be talking to?_

Saren looked up. _Probably the Reapers themselves. But that never is a good idea. They have a tenancy to brainwash anything they come across. It's called indoctrination. And it isn't fun._

Alpha just rolled his eyes. _Great. So I'm stuck here while a war rages in my corner of the universe?_

Saren looked up at the ceiling. _Well, if you're willing to risk everything to get home, that's your choice. The indoctrination is subtle at first, but the more exposure you have to an actualReaper, the more control it has over you, and the less capable you become. In the end, if you spend too much time around one, you end up as nothing but an empty shell. They rob you of everything. If you have a death wish, you could try to seek them out. However, since Shepard did stop them and they left, who knows where or when they will pop up..._

Alpha just sighed, looking at the data pad. Honestly, he didn't look forward to talking to one of these Reapers, and after what Saren said, he ruled the option out entirely. After all, he wouldn't be of any use if he got home as a mindless husk.

"Hey, uh Alpha?" Joker said over the intercom. "Liara wants you to meet her in her office."

Alpha got up from the table, and walked over to the office. What did she want? Could she have found some information on the relays that he might have missed? Something that could send him home?

He walked in. Liara looked up from the shadow broker terminal.

"How are you holding up?" She asked. "Saren hasn't been bothering you too much, has he?"

"He's actually rather quiet. Not too talkative." Alpha said.

"Alright then." She then went into the back of the room, and got out a box. "After we rescued you, I salvaged some things from your ship's wreckage. Things I thought might be meaningful to you if you survived."

She opened the lid of the box, and handed it to Alpha. He looked into it, curious. There were several things inside: His UNSC dog tags, his electronic journal, and the plasma beam saber prototype he always carried with him. The one he dropped before he nearly got killed.

Alpha picked his dog tags out of the box. He looked them, then at Liara. "...How did you find these?"

Liara just smiled in a compassionate way. "I have my methods. Anyways, It's to remind you that there's still hope. I don't know how, but you will find your way home."

Home. The thought of being home... He smiled, something he had not done in a long time.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

**SURPRISE!**

_**Normandy SR2**_

_**Omega**_

James couldn't stop talking about it. But then again, no one could. This would be their first official mission since Shepard died. Only now, Ash was in command. Being the new commanding officer on the _Normandy_, she had a lot to live up to. They kept wondering: were they ready? This first mission since Shepard's death, and it had to do with a strange transmission they received from the station that was supposedly from a council operative. Which, to Alpha, meant he wouldn't be able to tag along.

That wouldn't mean he'd do it anyway. Hell, he _would_ do it anyway! Even if it meant hacking out the door with his plasma saber!

"Remember, you stay on the ship." Ashley said to Alpha. "Do not go anywhere near the airlock, don't touch anything."

"Sure." Alpha answered simply. With that, everyone else stepped outside the airlock.

Then he went into a duct and got out through a maintenance shaft. He made sure his helmet was on, and sealed. Then he opened the hatch. After all, who knows what kind of viruses were on this black market space station? He had to be careful.

Staying out of eyesight of Ashley and Company, he followed them into a nightclub called afterlife, blending in with the crowd via his personal stealth field generator. To everyone else, he was invisible.

The nightclub was full of dancing lights, loud music, exotic Asari Dancers. And a lot of patrons and alcoholic drinks. Alpha decided to remain in stealth, taking the high route through the club's rafters. Then then stopped at a booth that overlooked the entire club. They were talking to an Asari, clearly the one in charge. Was she the citadel agent? He moved closer, climbing down the rafters like a spider.

Alpha then activated his helmet amp once he was in sight. With his amp, he could listen in on the conversation without being too close. He heard their every word.

"So why fake the signal just to bring us here?" Ashley asked.

"Because I require your expertise in a matter of... Survival for the station." The Asari said. She clearly had an attitude. "A couple of days ago, some humans and aliens in a ship I've never seen before just appeared out of the Omega-4 Relay. They crashed into the station, started firing on anything that moved and are now held up by the blue suns in a residential section of Omega. I thought they were trained Alliance marines."

"Really?" Ashley folded her arms. "And what made you think that, Aria?"

Aria then held up a holo projector. It displayed something that Alpha didn't expect at all.

It was a hologram of the Master Chief.

"This guy seems to be their leader. Know anything about him?"

Ashley gawked at the hologram for a minute. "What is that?"

"One of the uninvited guests tearing up my residential district."

"And why do you care so much about that?" Garrus asked with a tone.

Aria gave him a bad look. "Because having terrorists on omega acting like remnants of Cerberus isn't good for business. This soldier and his friends have already pissed off the blue suns. Luckily that's all they've really done, besides take over houses and move from place to place trying to evade the mercs."

Alpha now knew he had no other choice. He needed to be part of this conversation. He climbed down the scaffolding, and landed straight in the middle of the group, dropping his stealth field. Aria's guards immediately raised their guns, but Alpha didn't do anything to show harm.

"Easy, killer," He motioned to one of the guards. "I just have a few questions about this soldier."

"How did you get in?!" The guard demanded, whom was a batarian.

"There are 567 ways to get in here besides the main door. I just used one." Alpha said.

"Interesting." Aria laughed. "Not many people make it past my security."

"Make me one of the few then, Aria." Alpha said. "Besides, I could probably help out with your 'soldier' problem."

"Really?" Aria said, walking around Alpha. "Well, you're clearly not N7, and definitely not Shepard. But you managed to outwit my security, so that must mean you posses sets of very useful skills."

"That I do." Alpha admitted.

"Just what makes you think you can handle this?" She asked.

"Because I have a feeling I know who he is." Alpha said, telling only part of the truth. "If he is who I think he is, I know everything about him, and that's all the edge I need."

Aria laughed. "Such spunk. Fine. If you want to see if you can fare better than the Blue Suns mercs, then go ahead. Just be sure not to get shot. I hear this soldier is an excellent sniper."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

**FIREWORKS**

_**Omega Residential District**_

_**Sub-section 107**_

Chief hated it when nothing went as planned. It was supposed to be a simple rescue mission, and that artifact they discovered left their ship crippled, colliding with this station that could only be described as black market sub-par. So far, they were holding their own against the blue-armored mercenaries. Himself, Rookie, and Seth Zatorak. Black Hawk, and the Reploids had taken cover somewhere else on the station where they couldn't be found. The weapons their foes used seemed to be some sort of railguns with thermal sink clips. So far, they had managed to liberate several crates of ordinance from their attackers. But how long would it hold out? They were stuck on one side of a bridge while the hostiles were on another.  
That all changed when suddenly, the gunfire stopped. Chief saw Alpha in retrofitted armor walking down the bridge with three other fighters. What was going on?

Alpha had a plan. Technically, it was a longshot, but with help from Jack, Wrex, and Garrus, he could hopefully pull this off.

At the moment, he had tricked the Blue Suns into thinking he was a bounty hunter, and that the Chief and company were dangerous psychopathic criminals he was hired to track down. So far, from their fight with the Blue Suns and the damage they caused, they would easily fit the bill.

They would just have to put on a believable show for the Blue Suns. Once he got into comn range with chief, he isoated his headset and contacted him once he was out of earshot of the Blue Suns.

"Do you read me, Sierra 117?" Alpha whispered.

"...Alpha?" Chief hesitantly responded.

"Yes, it's me. Just listen to me carefully. I have a plan to get us out of this alive."

The Blue Suns group leader just looked on as the bounty hunter boldly went forward with his group across the bridge. He personally would've taken care of it himself, but since these were wanted criminals from twelve different star systems, he didn't want to mess with them. Besides, he'd lost enough men to these menaces. Add to the fact that this bounty hunter had been pursuing these lunatics for five years, who was he to argue, or even deny the bounty hunter his prize?

By the time they had gotten halfway across the bridge, gunfire rained down from the balcony above the other side. Amazingly, the Bounty hunter jetted up to the balcony like in one of those old human science fiction movies! At the same time, his two comrades stormed into the building, and that's when the explosions started. Followed by more gunfire. Then, after what seemed like several hundred rounds were fired, there was a larger explosion inside the building, blowing out all the windows into shards of glass. The bulidng was on fire.

And out emerged the bounty hunter, dragging his prizes, with the help of his comrades. He dragged their limp bodies like it wasn't a big deal at all!

"How did you do that?" The blue suns leader asked.

"Hard work, patience, and determination combined with a very useful set of skills." The bounty hunter answered coldly. "It may have taken my five damn years, but it's now done. Now I can go get my money."

As they left on the nearest transport, the Blue suns mercenary got a real chill down his spine, seeing that this bounty hunter had just taken down three wanted criminals.

He wondered just how many this bounty hunter had taken out in his specific fashion.

Little did he know it was all a facade.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

**REUNION**

_**Normandy SR-2**_

_**Med Bay**_

"So you were in a survival situation that whole time?" Alpha asked Chief in the med bay as Doctor Chakwas and Tali'Zorah examined him, along with Rookie and Seth.

"Those mercs were everywhere on the station." Chief responded. "We did what we had to."

Like with Alpha, Tali and Chakwas were fascinated by Chief's implants, as well as Seth's regen ones. What was this strange technology he had been given? But as usual, they were interrupted by something. They heard some loud banging and Garrus yelling at someone. Alpha knew it was Saren.

"I'll be back." Alpha sighed, and walked out. He saw Garrus slam Saren, still in his cuffs and irons, onto the mess hall table. Alpha could feel a bruise coming.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!" Garrus demanded. "YOU KNEW THIS WHOLE TIME HE WAS SNEAKING OUT!"

"Garrus, calm down..." Liara said.

"DON'T tell me to calm down, Liara! He could have done the right thing for once, and he remained silent! WHY?!"

"Because I told him!" Alpha barked. "I knew you guys wouldn't let me leave the ship, so I sneaked out and told him not to say anything. Also, if you're going to blame someone, blame Joker! After all, he knows everything that's going on here on the _Normandy_..."

"I heard that!" Joker said over the comm.

"See?" Alpha said.

Garrus, now with what could only be described as Krogan blood rage, approached Alpha, with intent to harm. Not even Liara could stop him before he slammed him into the wall with great force, getting out a pistol.

"You defend a mass murderer, you know that, don't you? I should throw you on the council's chopping block like we're going to with him! Or maybe neither of you should get the chance..."

"Garrus, calm the FUCK down!" Jack snapped, her voice like a whip, powering up her biotics.

"Stay out of this, Jack! You don't know half the shit Saren did! Nor did you witness it!" He pointed to Saren. "And Alpha has the nerve to defend him when Saren should just die! If they weren't linked, I'd kill him myself..."

"Look, Gar, I know you're angry about Saren the douchebag, and his crazy mind sex with Alpha, but taking it out on him won't fix anything or bring Kaidan back."

Ashley chose to join in. "I know you're still angry about Kaidan, but will this fix anything, Garrus? Would Shepard want to see you doing something like this?"

Garrus then grudgingly let Alpha go. Alpha could tell Saren obviously troubled Garrus deeply. He already knew why, but it didn't make it any easier on either of them. Alpha still sensed good in Saren, and surprisingly enough, Saren felt regret for what he did. For he knew it wasn't all _Sovereign's_ fault: He had played just as big of a role. Alpha watched as Saren got up off of the mess hall table. He could tell they would both have some bruises after that little bout.

"You're lucky I didn't see the whole thing." A voice said. Everyone looked and saw Seth. He was standing in the doorway of the medbay, arms folded, yellow-slit eyes leering at Garrus, his lizard tail swishing back and forth in agitation, like a weapon poised to strike. Came with being a Saurgonan. When they got agitated, their tails would be primed like a whip, ready for combat. They could be quite lethal like a whip too, and he looked like he really wanted to use it like such. Hell, Seth looked like he wanted to tear off Garrus' head. You never want to anger a Saurgonan up to that point, for it's hard to calm them down.

"This is a promise, Garrus: Next time I see you try to damage my prototype in such a way, or even think of it, I'll be after you." Seth's eyes seemed to glow with his own rage. "And no gun in this universe, or any other for that matter, will save you. No matter how far it's range."

Garrus then knew this wasn't someone he wanted to mess with. Even if he was just playing mind games at this point, he knew that provoking Seth's rage wouldn't be good for his mortal health.

Wrex just gave a hearty laugh at the site. "You got a quad, lizard!" He said.

"Excuse me?" Seth asked.

"What he means is 'You've got balls.' " Jack translated.

Seth's reaction, was just more laughter. He then walked back into the med bay, to finish getting his wounds treated.

Joker, getting the Normandy ready for takeoff, was interrupted by an alarm saying somone was still in the airlock.

"I got it." Joker motioned to Edi, as he got up out of his chair and walked over to the airlock. He always hated it when people tried to stowaway in there. He opened the airlock, and inside, found a nine-foot tall giant towering over him in black colored heavy armor. Along with three normal sized humans that looked kinda like robots. One looked wounded.

"Where is Alpha?" The giant asked, his raspy voice smooth and calm.

Joker was speechless. Dumbstruck. Then he got control of his senses, closed the door, and limped back to the cockpit as fast as his crippled legs could carry him.

He had just activated intruder alert when the airlock door opened by itself...

When the alarms sounded off, Garrus and Ashley went straight for the turbolift. Alpha decided this time, it might not be such a good idea to go along. If it was those Blue Suns Mercs, he'd need time to get to the armory first.

"What is it now?" Seth growled, as he and Chief emerged from the med bay, partially dressed wounds visible. Chief was ransacking nearby lockers for weapons. He found several M-12 Locust sub-machine guns in some hidden compartments, complete with clips.

Alpha was getting ready to go into a duct tube, down to the armory, when he heard the elevator open again, followed by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Kid! Where are you?" Alpha stopped what he was dong. Chief and Seth also lowered their recently acquired guns.

"Massey?" Alpha looked around the corner.

"Who else do you think it is? Slim Shady?" Massey, also known as Black Hawk, laughed.

Massey walked into the mess hall, followed by X and Zero. Zero was carrying a partially-repaired Axl. Alpha felt a sharp twinge of pain on seeing his old friend. They had been trying to fix him since the Haven Prime invasion attempt, but Axl's parts were very difficult to develop. Especially his copy-shot feature.

Alpha saw Garrus and Ashley aiming their assault rifles, but they appeared to be malfunctioning, as if they were jammed. Alpha failed to suppress his laughter. Massey's forerunner implants easily could render advanced technology, just about anything with a computer chip, inoperable if he wished it. And the Vindicator assault rifles fit that description. Hell, any gun from this universe did, since they had targeting VI's built in.

"What's so funny?" Garrus demanded.

"Oh, you mean you didn't know? I hacked your assault rifles. With my _mind_!" Massey laughed. "But don't worry. As long as you don't hurt us, we're square. No autopsy, no foul."

Garrus growled in agitation. He was not happy with his weapons being rendered absolutely useless by this nine-foot tall human.

At that moment, tali stepped out of the med bay.

"What is going... Oh... Keelah..."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

**RANNOCH**

After everything was explained by Chief, Seth, and Black Hawk, Alpha felt relief for them being alright. But also guilt, as the whole crew of the rescue ship besides them had died in the collision with Omega. A crew of 150 UNSC soldiers would never be recovered... All for one man.

"So what makes him so special?" Garrus asked Seth as Alpha sat down to eat his meal that night.

"He is a prototype." Seth explained. "From our universe, he has some cutting edge advancements and prototype gear that we couldn't let fall into our enemies' hands, specifically the new-covenant."  
Massey chuckled. "Am I the only who thinks Seth has the taste for the over dramatic?" He said, sitting down.

Seth just shook his head. "No one understands my work..."

Massey shrugged. "Alpha is like me, a weapon. A weapon is meant to fight things, not just be locked up and kept out of harms way. Its degrading to him and for what he was made to do. Hell look at the chief, his the same way. Doesn't make us any less human but we all have our jobs Seth." Massey smiled. "So stop acting like such a mother hen."

"Okay, let's not go that far." Alpha interrupted. "How are Axl's repairs going?"  
Massey smiled. "He'll be completed soon."

"Maybe Tali could help." Joker thought out loud. "After all, she is a Quarian machinist, and she's already checking out X and Zero."

Massey shrugs. "Couldn't hurt. I always welcome the help of a technical savant." He smiles at Tali.

Tali looks around the room nervously.

"Oh, by the way Seth, you should probably thank Tali for saving Alpha's life." Joker blabbed. "After all, she had to replace several of his implants that were damaged..."

Seth's fork snapped in half. His tail was swishing back and forth again.

"...I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Joker." Seth forced himself to calm down.  
Massey shook his head and chuckled. "Mother hen alright."

_**Later, in the Med Bay**_

Tali looked over Axl's damge. "Hmm..."

"Can you fix him?" Massey asked.

"Technically, yes. If I have the blueprints and all the materials I need. But we'll need to do this in a machinist shop on Rannoch."

Tali explained. "I just don't have all the tools I need, plus, I'll need some help from other machinists."

"Well, we don't have any current assignments since we resolved the incident on Omega." Ashley said. "I'll set the course on the galaxy map."

"Still, this seems like very dangerous technology." Tali commented. "I mean, feelings? Free will? That sounds worse than the Geth! An accident waiting to happen..."

"One: The entire Reploid race was programmed with specific laws that give us sound logic similar to humans, so we understand organics and their laws." X explained as patiently as he could. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to begin our own space colony. Two: We also patrol ourselves, so that if anyone breaks said laws, they are brought in and rehabilitated. And Three: We are not a hive mind like the Geth. We are all individuals. Sure, we can share data, but we don't share brain power like they do."

"Well... I'd hate to see what happens when one of you breaks those laws..."

X rubbed his temple as if he had a headache. "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, Me, Zero, and Axl have had to deal with Reploids who've crossed that line for over 300 years. Even if one of us does go that far, they face complete reformatting and rehabilitation. Believe me, we've seen it all, and I pray you don't have to..."

Tali appeared to blink underneath her helmet. "Over 300 years?"

"Since the earth's 22nd century, to be precise." Zero explained. "We Reploids had our share of problems, but we've patched it up and put it behind us."

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you'll be alright." Tali said, a little uncertain.

"Good. I'm glad that's settled." X said. "I'm going to see what Alpha's up to."

_**Cockpit**_

Alpha looked over the instruments that Joker manipulated to operate the ship. He was rather amazed. How could they do stuff like that with just holographic touchscreens?

"Still in awe about our technology I guess." Joker chuckled.

"I'm just not sure how you can manage it all by touchscreen." Alpha said. "Wouldn't that be dangerous if they just went out all of a sudden?"

"I assure you Alpha, all precautions were taken with the _Normandy's _designs. We has full backup controls available if needed."

"Looks like we're approaching the relay. Ready to see how we do a relay jump, up close and personal?" Joker smiled.

"This sounds like it'll be fun." Alpha said, looking out the cockpit windows. "Let's see it."

"Alright, here we go!" The _Normandy _maneuvered to pass by the relay. The relay then powered up, engulfing the ship in a blue bolt of energy. Then, there was a bright flash of blue light, and the Normandy was now at an entirely different place. They were at Rannoch.

Alpha was quite impressed. "So the Mass Relays allow instantaneous travel to anywhere in the galaxy, basically?"

"You got it! Are you jealous?" Joker asked.

"I'd be lying if I said no." Alpha replied. "It's quite Impressive."

_**Machinist shop**_

Veetor and Tali, along with several other Quarians and a few Geth looked over Axl's blueprints as they started to repair and replace Axl's damaged systems as Alpha watched behind plated glass. He still had not let go of his slip up on the Battle Halo. He couldn't let it happen again. Not after this hopeful second chance that his friend was hopefully being given.

"Alpha, that wasn't your fault." Zero said, knowing what Alpha was thinking. "You can't predict everything. You don't have ESP. No one does. Besides, these Quarians seem to know what they're doing. So just let it go."

"I'm trying, Zero. It just still bothers me..."

"Then quit letting it bother you." Massey stepped up. "We've got bigger things to worry about, like getting home. Since you've been here longer, I figured you might have some info. Anything?"

Alpha sighed. "Well, the relay we passed through. It was built by a race of sentient starships..."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHPATER 16**

**FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS**

_**Later...**_

"So you're telling me that these Relays were made by these so-called Reapers, whom cleansed the galaxy of life every fifty-thousand years, until this 'Commander Shepard' stopped them?" Massey asked.

"That's what it said in the database." Alpha answered. Massey then went over to a terminal in the shop and gained access to the central computer, linking it to the _Normandy's _database, looking over the records for himself. He was not amused.

"This is gonna complicate things." Chief said. "You sure no one else knows about this Relay technology? What about these Protheans? Would they know anything?"

"According to the logs, there's only one Prothean left alive, and I'm not sure what he knows." Alpha responded. "His name is Javik, and according to the records, he now resides somewhere on the Citadel in the Zakera ward. He joined up with Commander Shepard to help stop the Reapers, and wrote a book about his people with Liara T'soni, but the rest of it is... well, redacted. Not even I could get access to those files. They're in the Council database, locked and sealed."

Massey wasn't about to let that stop him. "We'll see about that. Get us to this 'Citadel' and I'll find the files."

"We'll need a ship though, won't we?" A voice said. Everyone spun around to see Axl, standing in the doorway, grinning.

"Axl!" Alpha exclaimed. "You're… You're repaired!"

"Yep! Look out universe, I'm back!" Axl smiled. The techs back home were unsure if they would be able to fix Axl at all, and here he was, standing in front of him! Online, alive and well!

"Welcome back, Axl." Massey said. "So back on topic, if we can get to the Citadel, I could hack into it's computers and see what I could find on the relays. Axl's right, though. We'll need our own ship. I don't want to risk letting anyone on the _Normandy _try to stop us. I know how Joker tries to eavesdrop on everyone on that ship."

"Considering Rannoch's technical resources, we could build a small ship here. May set us back a few months, but it's possible." Alpha said. "I still have the blueprints on _Hero's Blade._ With some minor design changes to incorporate the power sources and weapons they use here, and with some help, I could have us a small ship built in a little over... two months."

"Alright." Massey said. "You have two months. I'll tell the _Normandy_ crew we have to part ways..."

"What about Saren?" Master Chief interrupted. "Considering Alpha's current *****ahem* mental connection..."

"We'll have to keep tabs on him, I guess." Massey said flatly.

_SSV Normandy_

_5 hours later..._

Alpha walked by the War Room, when he heard Garrus and Ashley talking to somebody. Several Somebodies.

"Is this true?!" The first exclaimed. The voice sounded like a female, likely Asari. "Saren Arterius, the traitor to the council, is alive?!"

"Affirmative. He's alive, councilors." Ashley said. "He was brought back to life by Cerberus remnants. Probably using some old pre-war Reaper tech, judging by his implants."

"Well, we can't have him walking around the _Normady._" The second, the Turian representative said._ "_You've taken adequate security measures to insure he doesn't try to escape?"

"Yes, sir." Garrus said. "We've been overseeing this with all percautions and a little extra."

"This is troubling news." The Salarian Councilor said.

"I agree." The final one, Human, added. "If Saren were alive and to try something drastic again..."

"Of course he'll do something drastic again, councilor Hackett!" The Turian Rep interrupted. "It's not a question of 'if', but 'when!' Besides, when the public finds out he's alive, there will be riots, and who knows what else! I'm afraid we have no choice but to schedule an execution..."

Alpha's heart skipped a beat.

"But councilors, he's somehow linked himself with the human we reported that we saved from those unknown forces, like a Gemini effect! If one gets hurt, the other one does as well!"

"Any way to separate them?" Hackett asked.

"...No, we haven't found a way." Ashley said. "Doctor Chakwas has been working around the clock, trying to come up with something, with help from EDI, but they haven't been able to produce results..."

"Then we have little choice." The Salarian said. "Councilor Spartacus, we'll have to proceed with the execution. I'm afraid this 'Alpha' has become a casualty."

"What?! You can't be serious!" Ashley exclaimed. "He's needed for a war on his homefront!"

"We know, Commander Williams." The Asari rep said. "But since we can't come up with a way to cancel out this Gemini effect between him and Saren, we're left with little choice. We can't have a former spectre-turned-war-criminal running amok, and we fear no facility will be able to hold him. We're sorry, but there is no choice. You'll have to bring Saren back to the citadel, and inform this Alpha's comnrades of this bad news. I'm sorry, Commander Williams, but there's no other way..."

Alpha couldn't listen to this anymore. He was going to die before seeing home again, and they weren't willing to try and see if they could stop it. He ran across the CIC, and straight to the airlock to the Rannoch docking port to tell Massey of what he heard.

He just hoped they could think of a plan.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

**TO THE CITADEL!**

_**Two months later...**_

Not everything was going as Massey had planned. Yet somehow, between sabotaging the _Normandy_ multiple times and stalling the council to what seemed no end, they had finished their ship: _Hero's blade - Mark II_. Now the only problem left was Saren.

"Do we have to take him with us?" Axl asked. "He creeps me out, man..."

"Well, of course we have to take him with us!" X answered as he finished diagnostics on the controls in the cockpit. "If we let him go with the council, he'll be executed, and that means a gravestone for Alpha!"

"But how do we do that?" Zero asked. "I doubt Garrus or anyone from the _Normandy_ would let us just waltz off the ship with him."

"Don't worry. We wont' have to. We just follow them to the Citadel, and once I have the Reaper files, we'll bust him out and take him with us." Massey said with a mischievous grin.

"I just hope it's not too late by then." Zero said, lending X a hand with calibrating the flight control joysticks.

_**Normandy SR-2**_

Saren sat in his restraints in the Med Bay. He pondered over the things he could have done different. Could he have sided with Shepard all those years ago? What if he could have opposed the Reapers? Would it have made any difference? Could he have resisted indoctrination? He just continued to to ponder over what he could have done different.

Alpha then walked in. This wasn't easy for him, either.

"I guess this is the end of the road. For both of us..." Alpha said.

"You didn't have to try and save me the way you did." Saren responded. "You should have just killed me when you had the chance."  
"That was _my_ choice, Saren." Alpha reminded him, leaning against the wall. "I thought you'd understand by now why I made that choice."

Saren was silent.  
"To be blunt: If I wanted to have killed you, I would have." Alpha continued. "But I saw that you could do so much more than just be another terrorist like the New-Covies. I don't know the full stories, or extent of what you did, but I still believe you're not too far from Redemption. Even if I die because of you, I still think it was worth giving you the chance."

"You share the morals and philosophies of my brother..." Saren said.

"Why don't you tell me about him?" Alpha asked.

"I thought you already knew through the Gemini Effect."

"Not everything. I don't know what kind of person he was before he died, or how you felt about him."

Saren sighed. "He was... He was someone I felt I could always rely on. He was family. He was a lot like you, trying to see the better side of even the darkest of people. Then he had to die on the raid on Shanxi..."

"The first contact war. He was a soldier." Alpha said.

"Yes, he was. He always wanted to be the best soldier in the fleet. He was well on his way, with some medals of honor. But that was a long time ago... He's gone now, and nothing will bring him back..."

"Then cherish the time you had while he was alive." Alpha said. "Try looking back on all the good memories, and not the bad."

Garrus then walked in.

"Alright, we're ready to depart. Alpha, you should get back with your group and tell them to take off with that ship they built. We're going to the Citadel. It's time."

"No objections from Massey?" Alpha chuckled.

"I highly doubt he'll have a say in the matter now." Garrus said, clearly annoyed. "The council is already impatient, and we're fully repaired, despite all the trouble we've been having. Now get."

Alpha walked out, knowing not to push Garrus' envelope further than he had been.

Garrus then looked at Saren.

"I hope to hear you beg for mercy at the end." He said coldly. "I hope Kaidan, Nhilus, and all the other people you've hurt will be able to hear your last breath as you get the death you deserve. It's a shame we can't use more painful measures, but with the Gemini effect, the Council wants to make it quick and painless. No matter: Justice will be served."

_**Hero's Blade**_

_**one hour later...**_

"Rannoch ground control, this is _Hero's Blade, _Requesting permission for takeoff." Alpha radioed.

"Confirmed, _Hero's Blade_. You're clear for takeoff. _Normandy_ will rendezvous with you in orbit."

"Roger, control. Hero's Blade out." Alpha dropped the interface visor down from the back of the pilot's chair, activating the ship's neural pilot's interface. He then looked over to Axl, his co-pilot.

"Ready to fly again, old friend?" He asked. Axl nodded.

"Alright!" Alpha said. "Let's not keep Joker waiting! Internal power enabled, cutting external power feed. Primary and secondary weapons primed... Astrogation systems enabled..." Alpha went through the list as they activated and primed the ship's systems. "All systems go! Powering up engines..." Alpha pulled back the throttle slowly, as the doors to the hangar bay opened, and the engines warmed up.

"Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Liftoff!" Alpha then opened up the throttle, and they were catapulted out of the bay and into the sky! They passed through the Atmosphere, and saw the _Normandy._

"That's what took you so long to build?" Joker asked over the radio. "It's half the size of the SR-1!"

"Yeah, yeah, now are we going to hit the relay or not?" Alpha asked. "I thought you didn't want to keep the council waiting!"

"Right." Joker said sarcastically as both ships maneuvered into formation.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

**MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: CITADEL EDITION**

_**Hero's Blade MK II**_

_**En Route to Citadel**_

"Please tell me you've come up with a good plan, Massey." Alpha said as they passed through the relay. "We only have so much time..."

"Stop breathing down my neck, kid!" Massey responded, looking over a map of the citadel, annoyed from the pressure. "...Okay, I've got it."

"So what's the plan?" Chief asked.

"From what the map from the Normandy's computers said, they'll probably take him up to C-Sec headquarters, try and keep it as hush-hush as possible. It will be guarded well. Don't be surprised if we're going to have to shoot some people to get to Saren. As for the Citadel Archives, they're in a totally different direction. We're going to have to split up into two teams. Alpha, your team will infiltrate C-Sec and rescue Saren before he's forced to kick the bucket. You'll have to find some way to bring him back to the ship without arousing too much suspicion. Meanwhile, I'll have to sneak into the Citadel Archives with Seth and get all the data they have on the Reapers uploaded to an OSD using that custom Omni-tool he managed to construct. We then get back to the ship by any means necessary. Also, someone has to stay on the ship to make sure it's still ready to take off when it's time. Now choose your team, Alpha. I recommend only taking two people with you, though. A bigger group will attract bigger attention."

Alpha thought carefully, as they passed by Mars. "Alright. Axl, I'm going to need your stealth and combat skills on this one. Chief, You will have to create a diversion outside of C-Sec headquarters to distract them. When I give the signal, go crazy."

Chief nodded. "I'll have to make use of those weapons we stole."

"Good." Alpha said, as Earth and the Citadel started to come into view. "Oh, and X, Zero, make sure nobody takes off with the ship. Make sure she's ready to fly when we get back. Now, let's get this Mission: Impossible started." He switched on the radio. "Citadel Control, this is CV _Hero's Blade_, requesting permission to dock."

_**Citadel**_

_**C-Sec**_

_**Thirty Minutes Later...**_

"Saren, you're resurface has caused a lot of trouble." Concilor Sparatus said as they walked into the Execution chamber. Saren was silent.

"Do you have anything to say at all?" Hackett asked, irritiated.

"What does it matter what I say? It won't bring back the lives the Reapers took away during the war. It won't mend the damage I've caused..."

"So you do understand the consequences of your actions?" Concilor Tevos assesed.

"Yes." Saren responded.

"Then you understand your consequences as well. You've become too large of a threat to be kept alive. May the spirits of the dead have mercy on your soul, if they have any. Doctors, hook him up to the lethal injection..."

"I don't think so!" A citadel guard drew a strange pistol, and fired at the lethal injection machinery, turning it into a pile of scraps.

"What?!" Councilor Valern exclaimed. The council turned around, and immediately figured out what was going on as a second guard threw a knock-out gas grenade into the room. The last thing they saw before passing out was Alpha and Axl, shedding their doppelganger form disguises and putting on gas masks. Alpha quickly put a Gas mask over Saren's mouth. "We're getting you out of here."

"What?! Why?" Saren questioned.

"Because you're linked to me, and if you die, I die! Do the math!" Alpha snapped. "Chief! Now!"

_**Outside C-Sec...**_

Chief was wearing a cloak and cowl over his armor. It was time. He got out a Reverent rifle and fired a few shots off in the air, enticing a panic in the area. The locals began to stampede away from him. He knew it was only a matter of time before officers would be on the scene. But that's all they would be: Officers. Not trained super soldiers like he was. He then threw a cluster of smokescreen grenades around the area as he saw Alpha and Axl exit the building with Saren. The officers arrived, on schedule with a C-Sec shuttle. Chief could tell they didn't have the proper equipment to see through the smoke. His helmet, and Alpha's Eye visor, along with Axl's sight mods gave them the advantage, as they had jamming filters and heat-sensing capability. They ran for the C-Sec shuttle, shooting down the officers that got in their way. Though they had to use neutralizing shots to bring down the officers without killing them. Chief knew it wasn't their usual style, but this would be an exception. Soon, the officers were down, and they had hijacked the C-Sec shuttle, going back to the docks.

"Team Hawk, the is Team Raven, we're heading back to the nest. You have the intel?" Alpha said through his radio as they took off with the C-Sec Shuttle, sirens ablaze.

"Roger that." Massey said. "We're already back at the nest, and have everything we need. See ya soon."

"Roger." Alpha said. Chief then gave Saren his cowl. "Put this on, and make sure no one sees your face when we land. We're going to have to ditch the shuttle when we get near the docks, and go the rest of the way on foot. We'll have to make it appear that the shuttle crash-landed..."

_**Citadel Docks**_

_**Five minutes later...**_

Looking from behind a shipping crate, Alpha saw _Hero's Blade_. They only had a couple more meters to go.

"Alright, move. Act casual." Alpha said to the others. They walked up to the ship, clearly playing innocent. Alpha and Axl had assumed disguises of technicians. They were only a meter from the door when someone shot at them.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THRERE, KID!"

It was Garrus, followed by Wrex and Jacob.

Alpha and Axl shed their disguises, and returned fire, ducking behind cover, along with Saren.

"Don't try and talk me out of this, Vakarian!" Alpha snapped.

"Who says I'm going to?" Garrus said with an icy chill voice. "The only thing I intend to do is tie up some loose ends. I should have done this when I had the first chance. Gemini Effect or no, Saren is going to die!"

"You know I can't let you do that!" Alpha warned.

"And you should know by now that I don't care!" Garrus fired a concussive shot at the crate Alpha and Saren were behind, shattering it into pieces.

That's when the hatch opened on _Hero's Blade_. Massey was walking out, and he wasn't happy. His eyes were ablaze with an indigo glow, sparks and electric currents visible as the crackled against the air.

"Vakarian, I'm getting really sick of your attitude." Massey growled. He flicked his wrist at Garrus and company, and their weapons exploded in their faces, knocking them down to the ground.

"Come on, LET'S GO!" Massey yelled, as he rushed everyone on board and shut the hatch. Alpha ran into the cockpit, and fired up the engines. They detached the docking clamps, and took off, with the _Normandy _hot on their tail.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

**THE GETAWAY**

**_Hero's Blade_**

_**Cockpit**_

"Hang on, people, this is going to be a bumpy ride!" Alpha pulled back on the throttle, while Axl managed the ship's systems via touchscreen.

"Crank it, hotshot! They're charging weapons!" Axl said.

Alpha rocked _Hero's Blade_ hard to port, the blast from the Thanix Cannon missing the ship by mere meters.

"X, are you at the Gunnery controls?" Alpha radioed.

"Roger. Particle Lasers and Mass Drivers ready and standing by!" X responded.

"Good. Let's see if Joker feels like playing chicken! Axl, drop the mines!"

_**Normandy**_

_**Bridge**_

"Come on, shoot them down!" Ashey yelled.

"I'm trying, but they're moving too fast! I can't get a clean lock!" James responded.

"They're dropping projectiles!" Edi exclaimed. The next thing they new, the Normady was bucking up, left, down, and right, as mines exploded outside the windows! Joker was forced to hold onto his seat with one hand to avoid being thrown out of it. "Kinetic barriers at Sixty-five percent!"

He looked up, and saw _Hero's Blade_ do a complete one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn: Now heading right for them, weapons charged!

_**Hero's Blade**_

_**Cockpit**_

"Weapons free!" Alpha yelled. He watched as _Hero's Blade_ fired several mass driver shots, along with the particle lasers. The mass driver shells hit the _Normandy_ with an explosive display, as it rocked to starboard, then corrected itself. Alpha pulled up just in time to avoid a mid-space collision, the lasers peeling through the _Normandy's _kinetic barriers and scorching its hull.

"Time to bail on this place!" Alpha said, now kicking the ship up to full throttle as _Hero's Blade _broke away from the Citadel. They passed by Mars, then Jupiter, Saturn... It seemed like mere moments before they were at the Charon Relay.

"Alright, here we go! Initiating Mass Relay Jump!" He input the coordinates of one of Several star cluster where they could hide: The Hades Gamma Cluster. _Hero's Blade_ flew past the relay, as it activated, engulfing the ship in energy, and flung them straight out of the system on mass-free path of space. _Hero's Blade _and it's occupants were now long gone, not even the _Normandy_ could catch them now.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

**CITADEL'S MOST WANTED**

_**Hero's Blade**_

_**Cockpit**_

"Well, now that we're most likely going to be on the five o'clock news on the Citadel tonight, not to mention the most wanted list, you mind telling me where we go from here?" Alpha asked Massey.

Massey looked over the data he got from the citadel on a computer terminal. He had managed to get his hands on quite a lot of data. Even though he limited his search only to the relays and the reapers, it was still quite a chunk of information. He would have his hands full for a few days.

"We just need to find a place to hide." He answered after a long pause.

"That's it?!" Alpha exclaimed. "Just find a place to hide?! We don't even know half of the planets in this cluster that are habitable, let alone serve as a hideout!"

"If you need some ideas, I have a few." Saren spoke up. "Hades gamma is too far into the Attican Traverse. Under Citadel jurisdiction. We need to go back along the border the Terminus systems if we want to avoid detection."

Everyone's eyes were on Saren.

"So you know a good hiding spot, huh?" Alpha asked. "Alright. Speak up. Where is it?"

Saren looked up at the Galaxy Map Hologram in between the pilot and copilot's seats. "Sentry Omega. Hoc System. The third planet. Virmire."

_**Huerta Memorial Hospital**_

_**Citadel**_

Garrus woke up, feeling a lot of pain in his gun arm. Ashley was standing over him.

"Did I get him? Please tell me I got him..." Garrus winced painfully as he tried to sit up.

Ashley shook her head. "Sorry, Gar. They got away. We're getting some quick repairs in drydock so we can go after them again. If they find one of the reapers, and don't know what they're doing, It could mean disaster in a lot of ways..."

"I know." Garrus said, forcing himself up despite the protests of a nearby nurse. "How's Wrex and Jacob."

Ashley pursed her lips. "Well, let's see. Wrex, is as pissed as can be, and Jacob is still out cold."

That gave Garrus an idea. "I think we should contact Javik, Zaheed, and Kasmumi. Get Grunt and Samara on this, too. We're going to need their skills for tracking down that... group." He finished with a scowl only a Turian could deliver.

"Already contacted them. They'll be combing the Traverse for them with all the manpower they have. After all, they just hit the number one spot on the most wanted list for the council."


End file.
